Undecided as of yet
by Abbzziis
Summary: That nagging feeling she has forgotten something is pulling at her. It's time for her to go home. But what happens when her new family of vampires follow her through the doors into a world she had forgotten but discovers once more.
1. Preface: Isabella

Preface:Isabella

They started whilst he was away. I had assumed they were dreams brought on by the loss of my other half, by the idea that I meant nothing more to him than a play thing to pass the time. Dreams created from the fear of permanent abandonment, not just by  
the man I loved, but his family that I had thought I call could call mine as well.

But they returned. I am abandoned no more and yet the dreams still continue to torment me. It has been months since I have been reunited with my family and I often still wake, flushed with wild panic, screaming with the sharp pain of a loss I can't quantify.

I know I have been worrying Edward. He blames himself I'm sure. He keeps telling me how he will never leave me, that he will spend the rest of forever proving to me how much I mean to him. It is not that I don't believe him. I see in his eyes the truth  
that he does love me. It is a hard truth to face up to in honesty, as it meant that everything I had felt for those dreadful 6 months when he was gone had been unnecessary. That the pain I have been struggling to cope with was inflicted in an attempt  
to save me from pain all together. I just wish he had talked to me instead of being, frankly, high handed and assuming he knows best. He didn't trusted me or my judgement enough to be able to allow me to make a decision about my own future. That is  
what now hurts me most.

For a few seconds on that night as he was apologising for the hurt he caused me that afternoon in the woods, I truly did resent him. Once I got over my disbelief that he did in fact care for me after all, all I could consider was that he had made these  
decisions that affected my life without even the consideration of a discussion with me. I had no say whatsoever. But in one look I could see the pain he had caused himself in the making and I decided to forgive him. That makes it sound easy, I know,  
but I saw that his decision was born from his past, his era and his own lack of clarity in his perception of himself and I love him. So I forgave the rash, ill advised decision he made and decided to move on. I wish things had been different and that  
both his and my pain could have been spared but I am not naive enough to wish to change everything. I think we have both learnt a lot about ourselves and each other during his absence and in all, I have learnt to trust in his love for me. Maybe not  
his decision making, something to work on in the future I guess, but his love I believe to be true.

The events over the past year of my life have ingrained into me a fear of abandonment which now sits under my skin. It is going to be quite high on my list of fears from now on I suspect but it isn't the cause of the distress I still seem to be experiencing  
that has kept me awake at night. I can't seem to explain why I have felt this way. I am almost grieving or at least very homesick. I cant explain it. I never remember the dreams that leave me gasping but sometimes the feeling deep in my stomach just  
doesn't go away all day. For a while I was so sure that the feeling was down to my missing Edward that for the first few months, I had tried not to think about it and pushed it away. But now he is here by my side, often within an arms reach, I still  
cant seem to shake it completely. It lessens when he around, sure, but never truly goes away.

It eventually reached the point where I had started to avoid being around Jasper for I know that he can sense it and it was starting to put him on edge. Due to the nature of my family here, and the unavoidable lack of privacy within the group, if Jasper  
could sense it, Edward would have known. Which undoubtably sent Edward down a rabbit hole of guilt and dragged up his worries that I don't trust him enough to stay. Something my nightly screaming sessions weren't exactly helping with either.

I was spending most of my days trying to convince him that I was happy with my life and spending it with him is what I wanted, even if deep down I knew something was missing.

As the drama with the newborns unfolded and Victoria continued to torment my family, the feeling didn't go away. It started to get stronger until it became that persistent nagging of being out of place. Like I don't belong, and a need to get home except  
I had thought my home was with Edward. The smallest things would set me off on a spiral like the glimmer of the fire in the fireplace, the sound of the wind through the trees or the glint off of the metal of a knife in the kitchen. Each time it would  
be like a memory trying to crawl its way to the surface but always out of reach. My ability to simply brush it off, to place it in a box in my head and file it way for later had started to fail me and grief would overwhelm me making it hard to breathe.  
The small comforts of Forks and Charlie stopped comforting me at all and started to cause me more torment as they stopped feeling like home altogether. As the newborn army approached and the battle between my family and Victoria drew closer, I often  
felt Carlisle's eyes on my back and everyone hovering around me, frightened they would say the wrong thing. It like they where waiting for me to break. Spending the afternoon with Jacob and the pack became my escape from the caring, worried eyes of  
my family and the guilt stacking up in Edwards. I didn't want to be hurting him any more or being the cause of his anguish but I felt like I am missing a vital part of myself.

When I realised Edward would be fighting along side his family to protect Forks and myself, I almost asked him to stay with me. The fear of watching him walk away into battle, not knowing if I was going to loose him or if he was going to come home, ate  
away at me for the weeks leading up to the fight. But I knew I was already causing him and his family pain and worry. I could not deprive them of a skilled fighter on a day where any of them might never return.

If I had asked him to stay with me that day maybe things would have been different. Perhaps I wouldn't be where I am now, standing with Seth on the mountain side in the freezing cold staring at a door carved into the rock, which I could have sworn hadn't  
been there moments before. A door that might be our only hope of survival with both Victoria and her mate advancing on us from both sides. A door with a lions face carved into the wood.

AN/

Any and all reviews welcome, I have an idea as to where I am taking this but love to hear what people think. Don't afraid to be honest! :)


	2. Chapter 1: Edward

Chapter 1: Edward

Edward had killed before. In his human years, he was always one to stomp on the spider instead of taking it outside, citing efficiency and ease over what was considered feminine ideologies between his peers. Once he had become part of Carlisles family, he had hunted for food, both animals and humans alike and become a little immune to effects of killing on a weekly basis. He had even once, in the 80's, torn a newborn apart with the help of his brothers, after it had tried to get to Alice. However, he had never enjoyed killing until the day the newborn army arrived in Forks. These newborns threatened the one thing he held above all else, his Bella. He enjoyed the thrill of watching this enemy fall to pieces under his hands and hearing their voices fade to nothing because it meant that she might be safe. He had to protect her. As more of the young creatures that he refused to think of as people came barrelling into the clearing he was once again glad to have her out of harms way. Safe in the mountains away from the battle, where she would remain innocent still. He would do anything to keep her hands free of blood. Even if that meant he would bathe in it.

A shout of warning from his left gave Edward time to sidestep the massive body as it flew towards him from the strength of Rosalie's kick to the torso. Catching on to her train of thought, he quickly grabbed the arm of the brute, swung him back round to face his sister and held him steady as she roundhouse kicked his head off.

"Nice shot" he muttered as Rosalie smirked in reply and helped Edward rip the rest of him apart.

The battle was almost over, only a few remained. Sam and the rest of the pack had split off to surprise the rest of the group and now their numbers were dropping dramatically.

Carlisle looked grim as he and his wife tag teamed a particularly aggressive female and soon she too had ended up in pieces.

Soon, Edward called out a warning to Leah and with one final snap of the wolf's jaw, the battle was finished. No more newborns remained.

A quiet moment of peace passed over the clearing as a few of the signs of relief where released and the couples quickly took stock of their partners and Sam of his pack. Edward felt a flare of annoyance and angry thoughts from his littlest sister as she took in her husbands appearance.

"You are a fool, Jazz" Alice whispered with affection, "What am I gunna do with you?" For Jasper had tried to ensure Alice had not been touched, leaving him open to a number of bites along his arms and shoulders. Working her way around his broad shoulders, she methodically kissed each wound, sealing them gently with her own venom.

Edward looked away from their private moment, as the longing to get back to his own love flared. For him to get back to her though, there was some clean up to do. Now that the fighting had finished, the scene before them seemed all the more macabre. Twitching limbs and other random body parts were scattered everywhere. Suddenly glad that vampires don't bleed, Edward started to gather them into a pile along with some firewood to start the burning. Before long a pillar of purplish smoke was rising from the clearing.

Emmett, Jasper and some of the wolves dragged in the larger pieces as Edward silently took stock of it all. There were enough for 17 bodies.

"Carlisle" he called suddenly realising who he hadn't seen, "did you see Victoria in any of this?"

For a moment the doctor was quiet. When he spoke it was grave.

"No, no I did not"

Suddenly feeling very nervous and if he were human probably a little nauseous, all his thoughts run to Bella like an intense wildfire burning away every thought but of her.

Cursing under his breath, Edward swivelled round to face is father, "Do you need me here?" He ground out glancing at the packs alpha.

"No son, go to her" Carlisle replied already knowing his destination.

Edward muttered his thanks before disappearing into the forest in the direction of the one person he longed to see again now.

Things with Bella recently had been tough. Not that it was either of their fault, she just seemed disconnected to the outside world and he was just learning to work around the guilt of leaving her so broken last autumn. He has spent so much time trying to work out what is going on inside her head over the last couple of months he is driving himself insane. He had long pinned his hopes on the end of this battle, when the threat of Victoria was no longer hanging over their heads, being a new fresh start for them both.

He knew she hadn't been happy recently. He had assumed a lot of it was down to the stress and worry brought on by the red head but to be honest she wasn't really talking to him any more. Not that he had been pushing really either. Bella was always the sufferer in silence type and if he wanted any information he usually had to bribe it out of her but he had been a little afraid recently of what she might say if he did ask. He would catch her staring out of the window with a glazed look in her eyes sometimes. Or staring into the fire with an intensity that frightened him little. Each time he would try and break her out of it or sit by her side until she returned to earth and met his eyes again. She would turn those huge brown eyes in his direction and and intensity would fade yet again and they would go on planning the defeat of the newborn army or tactics or arguing where she would be during the fight.

Now that the army had been disposed of, he hoped there would be time for them to speak without interruption, without the constant fear and maybe discuss everything that had been bottling up between them. He had been planning a return trip to Florida which he now wanted to put into place as Jasper had been worried she was feeling very homesick recently. Maybe he could propose there or at least talk about marriage again. Once everything was a little more settled of course, he just wanted to start looking towards the distant future again, not just how to get through the next week.

As Edward planned, he listened in to find Seth's thoughts as he closed the gap between himself, the young wolf and Bella. The trees flew past until he was only 10 miles out and could start to pick up scattered thoughts. The odd feeling of intensity from the clearing earlier struck Edward again, forcing him to push into his run harder. Something felt wrong.

It was only a couple of milliseconds before he could hear Seth's mental panic that he picked up Victoria's scent. Seth's frantic thoughts seemed to be calling out to his brothers, but Edward knew it was too late, they were too far out and wouldn't be able to help him. Edward felt the crunch of the wolf's shoulder along with him as the male vampire trailing Victoria kicked him into the mountainside. It hadn't been the first hit Seth had taken. His minds eye turned on the small, slender brunette that had backed up between two large rocks he was supposed to be protecting with shame, the feeling of failure rushed from Seth's mind and mingled with Edwards own torment as he watched the red head corner the small human girl and limping creature. The young wolf lifted its head to the sky and called out his apology with a howl to both his family and new friends as Victoria's hand reached towards his throat.

In that second the howl cut off, Seth's voice went silent.

Three seconds later, Edward flew into the clearing to find a scene he wasn't expecting.

It was empty.


	3. Chapter 2: Edward

For a second he froze in place, staring at the spot he had last seen Bella through Seth's eyes, straining his ears for any sign of life in the clearing at all but the air was still. There were no sign of anyone. No thoughts on the wind.

His eyes raked the scene in disbelief. Vague footprints in the snow and small drops of blood on the rocks were the only disturbances to the area, the only proof that the area had in fact seen the people he was so desperately searching for.

The stillness was broken by the thundering of the wolves passage through the forest as the fastest in the pack came pounding through the evergreens, spraying the frozen ice that had settled on the branches in every direction. Leah skidded to a halt beside Edward as she looked around the clearing, clearing struggling with the same concept as the stunned vampire.

Where on earth had they gone?

One thing about vampires and wolves you should know is that they often have very different reactions to stress. Whilst Leah started to pace the clearing, Edward froze, muscles locking down until he was as motionless as stone. She was about half way across the clearing towards Bella's make shift campsite when her brothers joined her. Each one of the wolves scoured the area, noses to the ground, carefully avoiding the space Edward had commandeered in his panic, until they came to the same conclusion Edward had one minute before.

Four people had disappeared.

Their trails ended abruptly exactly where they had been expected to be. Bella's and Seth's scent mingled against the rock in the crevice in the mountain, Victoria's in the snow a step away to the east and the other, unknown vampire's along the norther border.

It wasn't until Edward felt Carlisle's hand grasp his shoulder did he realise he hadn't heard any of what had been discussed in the past five minutes and frankly he didn't have a clue what was going on. His mind had focused in on possible explanations as to what could have happened in the four seconds between loosing Seth to arriving into the clearing. Each imagining growing worse than the last.

"Edward."

Tuning back into the present he realised some time must have passed as entire family had managed to make it into the clearing without him noticing. He zoned into the voice calling his name and Carlisle's face as he repeated the question.

"Son, are you with us?". Edward forced himself to tear away from the possible scenarios playing behind his eyes to focus long enough and nod in his fathers general direction.

Alice, seeing a shared look between her husband and Carlisle, instantly went to stand by her brothers side and held onto his hand hoping to ground him once again to reality.

By the time Edward's mind had returned, the entire clearing and surrounding area had been scoured by the pack along with Rosalie and Emmett and they had all come up empty. Esme had scaled the cliff face to see if they had somehow headed up to get away and Emmett had dug into the ground looking for secret tunnels.

"Emmett! You are being ridiculous!" Scolded Rosalie "They haven't dug a tunnel into the rock, we would have seen it".

"Yeah, well where have they gone then?" Emmett rebutted, "I am eliminating possibilities"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at her husband "Well they can't have have just disappeared off the face of the earth can they?"

"I dunno Rose, its starting to look a little like they have" Jasper quietly replied.

Jasper closed in on Emmett from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the mounting tension in both Edward and the wolves at their words.

"Let's sweep the perimeter" Jasper muttered, eager to get away from the fraying nerves and keep Emmett from saying anything that could start a war.

"Alice, can you see anything?" Carlisle questioned as the boys left the clearing "Bella, Victoria? Anything at all?"

A sighed "No" had barely passed Alice's lips before Rose jumped in. "Well that doesn't even mean anything. If Seth is still with them, Alice wouldn't be able to see anything anyway".

Although this stands true, Alice still groaned in frustration. Esme jumping down from the cliff face, placed a hand on her arm. "Don't panic, just keep looking. We will find them".

On the other side of the tree line, Leah's thoughts weren't so optimistic. She let her body sag to the ground, deflating as the harsh reality that her brother had disappeared without a trace was starting to sink in. Edward could hear her thoughts magnified across the entire pack and their certainty that their brother was gone bit into his false sense of calm.

Forcing himself to move past the fears of never seeing Bella again, he tried to think through the situation logically. He knew that the pair were fine, well mostly fine, well alive at least, not half an hour ago. Victoria and her minion must have caught Bella's scent and found her way to the clearing, backing both Bella and the wolf into the corner. She had managed to get a few hits in, but Edward didn't remember seeing Bella injured in anyway. Seth had been shielding her with his body best he could but Edward remembered the distinct feeling of dread from the wolf.

"I only heard Seth for about 3 seconds in all, but he knew he wasn't going to win the fight. He had resigned himself to die." Edwards confession whispered out into the surrounding area, hitting each member of the pack like knives. They all knew this already as they had watched along with Seth but it was another thing to have it said aloud.

"But one thing is that in the brief glimpse I got into" he paused to snarl the name "Victoria's mind was that she wasn't planning anything. I don't think she has anything to do with this."

Jacob was making his way through the trees on two legs when he spoke up.

"Well maybe it was one of those freaky skills you vampires have. Like the little psychic here. Maybe that male one could teleport or something."

"Well it's plausible I guess" Carlisle's brow furrowed.

"I would have heard something though. All the boy was thinking about was how to best to rip Seth apart, not escape." Leah flinched. "There was nothing there to suggest he wanted to leave."

Quietly Alice moved her way around the group until she reached the point their trail ended.

"I think there is more at play here than we were expecting" she muttered.

A sudden gasp from Alice had everybody standing to attention as Edward watched her vision unfolding before him in her mind.

Jasper sprang towards his wife. "What is it?"

"The voltori were finally coming to clean up their mess." She muttered turning her eyes towards Edward. "And when they can't see Bella..."

"It's not going to end well."


	4. Chapter 3: Edward

The family shook off the last of their stunned stupor and almost collectively took a breath. Unsurprisingly, Carlisle was the one to speak first.

"Okay. Volturi first, Bella and Seth once we have dealt of them." He looked around for agreement from his family, gaining a few nods in return. Edward, not meeting his eyes, muttered a growl under his breath. He knew that Carlisle was speaking rationally and he trusted his judgement but he couldn't help disliking the idea of leaving the end of Bella's trail without having any idea as to where she went.

Esme stepped in. "Edward, we will be back. We'll find her. You know that. We wont leave Bella but if she and Seth reappear in the middle of a fuss caused by the Volturi it wont end well." She placed a hand on his shoulder as he also inclined his head in agreement to Carlisles plan, still not looking particularly pleased.

The doctor turned to the alpha.

"Sam, I advise you get your pack home, it wont do any good for the Volturi to suddenly know of your existence. We can keep your involvement in this.." He looked back towards the trees where the purple smoke was still vaguely visible. "Matter to our selves."

Before Sam could finish the thought for Edward to translate, Jacob jumped in. "I'll stay." All eyes turned to the half dressed werewolf. "I'll stay here where they disappeared, you know, just in case they reappear or something.." He trailed off as he looked at the rock face again.

The pack silently dissecting each facet of the conversation came to the census that it would be best to not get involved with another group of vampires that day, especially scary royalty vampires, leaving La Push unprotected for longer than planned. Sam taking control over the discussion again turned his thoughts to Leah. She hadn't really registered the conversations pathway so far, being lost in her own thoughts for once, suddenly realised they meant to leave the clearing. Looking Sam dead in the eye she made herself clear. She was not leaving here either.

"So will Leah, the rest will be in La Push" Edward translated efficiently before nodding to Sam in respect.

The wolves made to move out. "Avoid the pathway from the river!" Alice called out quickly "They are coming round the from the east first."

Sam paused at the edge of the clearing and looked back. His throat rumbling a deep guttural sound in thanks for the forewarning and glanced once more at his only female pack member. Each paused for a minute as Sam conveyed his command to not do anything stupid to both members who resided in the clearing.

Before long the wolves had disappeared and the Cullens turned towards the direction of the battlefield once again.

"They can not be allowed to see either of you." Jasper spoke up again. "They will kill you".

Jacob rolled his eyes at the dramatics and nodded again. "Got it boss."

Taking Edwards hand, Alice took the lead and before long Leah and Jacob had been left behind.

Once they had made it back to the now smouldering pyres the family turned to the psychic again.

"Alice?" Rose asked. "What can you tell us"

Alice paused, closing her eyes as she cast her mind's eye out into the family's future again. Edward watched closely as always.

"I lost my sight for a second when the wolves left. I assumed it was because they blocked the vision" She looked over to Carlisle as she spoke. "But I still can't see anything."

"Hmm" was Carlisles noncommittal answer. "Maybe the wolves still cross paths with them?"

"Yes, maybe" Alice responded sounded utterly unconvinced.

"No!" Gasped Esme horrified "We have to warn them!"

Edward spoke up "You are looking for the family's future, look for the moment you can't see the Volturi's movements anymore instead. That way if they are being blocked by the wolves we can figure out where they cross paths."

Alice concentrated again. Her practiced mind sifting through potential timelines until she found the immediate future of the small creature she happily nicknamed the witch-bitch, others know her as Jane.

She relatively slowly narrowed the endless possibilities before her, taking her time to pinpoint the exact moment her future becomes unclear to her eye. She watches as Jane barks orders to her companions, glides through the Washington forests and enters the clearing.

"What?" Asked Edward. "But I thought.."

"Yes. So did I" mutters the shortest of the Cullens as she checks the possibilities again.

"Guys! Come on!" Emmett exclaimed, once again annoyed at not being the one in the know. "Explain!"

"Right" Alice said distractedly as her brain power continued to be spent figuring out the riddle.

Edward took it upon himself to explain the best he could to the others.

"Alice can't see us meeting the Volturi but she can see the Volturi arriving here in this clearing."

Jaspers glances at his wife in concern. "But you saw us meeting them not 10minutes ago when we were with the other wolves."

"Yes I did" Alice confirms his unvoiced question.

A frown appears on Carlisles brow. "Well then what happened?"

"Well what about us?" Exclaimed Rose.

"Rose?" Her husband asks.

"If we aren't here to meet the Volturi when they arrive in 5 minutes, what on earth is about to happen to us?"

A little uneasy the group glance out to the surrounding forest.

Alice jumps to reassure them "I don't see any fires so…" She decides to leave the thought unfinished. They all knew her meaning anyway.

The confused, on edge group were each considering their own assumptions of what was about to happen. However none of the imaginings, ranging from the most reasonable of Carlisle's to the slightly fantastical, if somewhat misguided ideas of Emmett's, ever considered the possibility of a white tiger and a dwarf bursting through the forest on the other side of the clearing. Which is exactly what happened next.


	5. Chapter 4: Edward

For millennia, vampires around the world have been claiming stronger senses, more acute minds and lethal accuracy. Their abilities making hunting prey simple, often very little effort involved and revered as 100% successful all the time. Due to the lack of effectual fight from their victims, they have often considered themselves the greatest hunter one could be. The Cullens were not excluded from this unimaginative way of thinking. In honesty they were stronger, faster and more acute than the species of creature they had most experience living with; humans. Having little other to compare themselves to, some vampires even believe themselves to be godlike, untouchable.

However they often forget that they started off their lives as humans.

Their ice cold, new lives were in fact, impacted by their original as a warm blooded homo sapien. They often bring along a few undesirable traits from their origin years. One of these traits in particular is the body's response to a stress or a shock. When something completely unexpected happens, it can often take a few moments for a brain to catch up with reality. Shock in humans can last for hours or even days so in the new an improved model of a vampire it can take considerably less time for the brain to process the shock and ground itself in reality again. That niggly human trait is present in all vampires that started their lives as humans, no matter their age. That trait is exactly why, when a dwarf dressed in a red wool hat, grubby rags and holding a hand crafted bow and arrow as well as an abnormally large white striped tiger came bursting through the clearing in the forest in Washington, none of the seasoned vampires moved.

The strange creatures had made it over halfway across the baseball sized field before any of the Cullens had even shifted an inch.

The first of the Cullens to recover from the momentary shock was Jasper. His first coherent thought was the realisation that the creatures were not stopping. His military trained brain then supplied him with a range of next moves the pair could make and what threats they could pose. A few milliseconds later, once he had registered the weapons and claws on each creature, the growling each of them were making and the look in the scruffy dwarfs eyes he decided they were a threat. For you see, he recognised that look. It was the crazed look of wild panic. He had definitely seen that look before. It was the look of someone desperately looking for an out and therefore would do anything.

These strange new comers were definitely a threat.

So what to do? What strategy would be best to deal with this situation? This was his forte after all. His family looked to him for guidance in a fight. He had the most experience in military matters. He learnt early on how to fight, to survive in a cutthroat environment something none of the others had. So the ball was in his court. Half a second more to decide.

Stand hold your ground or move out of the way?

A quick snap of an order, he had decided.

"Move!"

Edward, hearing Jaspers reasoning and subsequent plan, grabbed this fathers arm, placed a hand on his mothers back and quickly 'encouraged' them out of the path of the new arrivals. Jasper had pulled Alice to safety and the movement had spurred Emmett and Rosalie to follow suit.

With the barest of glances, the dwarf and tiger flew past the dumbfounded group, headed to the other side of the clearing.

It was Emmett who first turned his back on the oddities. His mind already worked out that as they hadn't been running toward them, they must have been running away from something.

Edward followed Emmett and turned to search the area they had appeared from whilst the others of the family watched the pair disappear into the trees on the other side of the clearing.

All in all, their entire encounter with the dwarf and the big cat lasted around 3.75 seconds.

"What just happened?" Emmett muttered in confusion and glanced at the two people in the group who might of known; Alice or Carlisle.

Alice opened her mouth to speak but before she could the groups attention had already been diverted by the sound of thundering feet on the forest floor. Or perhaps more accurately, the sound of paws. Edward involuntarily tuned in to find out what was on its way to them and the look of recognition on his face meant that no-one was particularly surprised when the wolf pair came bursting through the trees. They were all getting used to the sounds of the wolves now.

Although both Leah and Jacobs minds were a little scattered, Edward and Jasper caught on quickly to the situation.

Carlisle turned to the wolves. "What happened? Why were you...?"

Jacobs confusion to Carlisles words clued Jasper in so before Carlisle could finish he interrupted "They weren't"

"They were also being followed" Edward finished as they all registered the slight din of noise coming from the forest.

Without much thought the entire group rearranged its formation to meet the upcoming threat. The wolves swung round to join the sides of the family coming to at stop at either ends of the group. The women were urged into the centre, the men on the outside of the semi-circle. Rosalie just rolled her eyes as the ridiculousness of the slightly sexist undertones held in the gesture.

The sounds of the pursuers grew louder until the rumbling could be discerned as the beat of hoofs on the soft coniferous forest.

"Should we run?" Suggested Esme.

"Jacob says they were fast" Edward replied.

"Where would we lead them?" Pipped up Rose

"We don't know how dangerous they are" agreed Carlisle "I don't want to lead them back to Forks. Lets meet them first"

So they waited, staring at spot the oncoming threat would appear. Each considering the intelligence of meeting an unknown threat head on. Especially one that sounded like they were on horse.

They didn't have to wait very long, and even though the family were a little more prepared to the unexpected this time, what appeared through the tree boundary was still not anything they had considered possible in that moment.

For it was an army, which although unexpected, was not the most unusual thing about them.

They were centaurs.

Half human half horse and all in all, huge.

They slid into the clearing with the ease of organised efficiency, clearly practiced at moving as a group with each dressed in red and silver with the emblem of a lions head periodically appearing in various places.

The leader of the group became clear from their positioning. He stood tall and proud at the centre of a rough triangle holding a huge sword in one hand and his other hand stretched out as if to block the further movement of his guard. His silver plated chest and long, dark hair gave him the appearance of just stepping out of a fairytale. Deep red leather straps tied multiple tools and weapons to his side and the blunt, brown shoulder pads covered his broad, defined shoulders rhythmically rose and fell with his slightly heavy breath.

Although he easily towered over the vampires and wolves alike standing on the four huge horse like legs, he also stood half a head taller than the others in his group.

He stared the vampires down from his great height and with the careful eye of an evaluator, he sized up the group.

The silence in the clearing was broken when the leader turned to his left and with a nod of his head, barked his first spoken order.

"Go"

The army seemed to know what he meant as half broke of the main group and started to make their way back into the trees again at speed. To the left a trumpet was blasted and they were gone in the same direction the dwarf and tiger disappeared off to.

The seven that remained in the clearing moved together to provide the leader with support from the side now bare and they advanced on the Cullens slowly.

"Who are you?" The leaders thundering voice filled the clearing with authority.

Carlisle stood forward, ever the face of the family. "My name is Carlisle Cullen" Spoken equally clearly and completely steadily despite the tense situation.

"And this is my family" he turned to each member in turn "my wife Esme, my daughters Alice and Rosalie and their husbands Jasper and Emmett, my son Edward and our friends; Leah and Jacob".

Leah swung her head to momentarily glance at Carlisle in slight shock to have been included in the introductions at all.

The centaur paused again, apparently deliberating before sheathing his sword and taking another step forward.

"Carlisle Cullen, who's kingdom do you and your family belong to? Your clothes do not appear of Narnian origin"

"Kingdom?" The doctor clearly not expecting the question, briefly looked at the other centaurs in front of him who all just gazed back impassively. "We live in North America. We do not live in a kingdom that is under a king or queens rule". The statement came out sounding slightly like a question as Carlisle's confusion got the better of him.

"You have travelled far."

A frown grew on the vampires face as confusion at his words took over. Carlisle began to reply. "No? We..."

The centaur grew impatient at his lack of definitive answers and interrupted once again.

"What is your propose here in these woods, Carlisle Cullen?"

Still wary of the threat the newcomers presented Carlisle spun the truth into something he could use. "Travelling through, we are looking for two other members of our group. Have your men..." several creatures huffed at the term men "...seen them? My daughter Isabella and our friends brother, Seth?"

"You are missing some of your family?" The centaur obviously did not expect an answer as he turned his eyes away to meet gazes with his comrades. A silent conversation ensued lasting a very little amount of time. The few of the newcomers shifted weight onto their other foot, the closest centaur to the leader scraped a massive hoof through the dirt and finally the smallest of the group standing furthest to the left nodded.

Seeming to have gained the permission of his comrades, he turned back to the family with a gaze impossibly more intense, the leader spoke again. "Have you seen a child on your travels through these woods?"

Esme who had been standing in the centre of the Cullens defence, watching it all, spoke up. "A child?" She placed her hand over her heart and her voice rose in distress. "You are missing child? In these woods?" Her horrified eyes turned to her husband.

The centaurs answer was short as he continued to read the situation. "Yes."

Carlisle spoke slowly, choosing his next words carefully. "May I ask..." he paused for confirmation before continuing. "Of which species is the child?"

"She has a faun heritage, descending from both western and southern families."

This declaration was met with silence.

It was the Cullen's turn to have a silent conversation. The confusion and surprise from each member of the group hit Jasper straight away. Carlisle looked to him for a hint as to whether anyone might have any clue as to what he was talking about. Jasper glanced at Emmett as his eyebrows rose and his amusement showed on his face for a millisecond before he clamped down on his features so to not give anything away to the others. Then Jasper turned to his wife who seemed less surprised than everyone else. Her face was scrunched up in concentration as she stared at the smallest of the centaurs on the end of the group. Although less surprised by their answer than the others, she didn't appear to be paying much attention as a steady level of annoyance seemed to be forefront of her mind.

Jasper and Carlisle's eyes met again, with a slight shake of his head, Carlisle looked back to the centaur.

"Faun? We have very little experience with that species. What do they look like?"

Carlisle's answer seemed to confuse and unsettle the group more than anything said so far. Their faces each registering shock before morphing back into the expressionless mask of the military.

The leaders expression hardened and he moved his arm to place his hand on the sword that hung to his left.

He spoke again. "You are oddities in these woods." His voice now flat, no longer holding the hint of emotion, especially confusion is had once before. "You will be taken into custody until your intentions become clear."

At this Rose's temper flared. She spoke up before anyone could stop her. "Now hang on a minute! We haven't done anything to you? You have no right."

Her temper didn't not appear to affect him in any way.

"You are correct. I do not believe you to be a threat to us, but for the safety of the missing child, you will be taken to our king for judgement."

Carlisle took a deep breath.

"I speak for us all..." he placed a hand on Rosalie's arm. "When I say we appreciate your concern for the child, but we have our own missing family members to consider."

"If your family are out there, my brothers and sisters will find them Carlisle. No harm will come to your family..." he paused and took another step forward. "If you cooperate."

The finality to his tone spoke volumes and echoed around the clearing.

Carlisle looked to Jasper then to his wife before finally making eye contact with Edward. Edward simply nodded. Carlisle decided.

"Lead the way."

Its been a while since I have posted but life gets in the way I guess. I have the next chapter on the way, but again it might take a while. Advise and critisism always welcome, looking to inprove as always.

And thank you FabinaForever11 for catching that, Im not 100% sure what went wrong.


	6. Chapter 5: Isabella

I looked out the window.

Quiet moments where I am able to just stand and look out my window are quite rare at the minute with the preparations for winter fully underway. This moment alone is a true rarity.

The window overlooked the cliff line that marked boundary between the western wood and the eastern sea. The sun was setting on the horizon and lit up the entire scene up with a beautiful warm glow. The cliff edge shone as its light stone reflected the light and the deep, rich colours of the forest contrasted brilliantly against the blue waters giving the entire sight a surreal touch. My eye is drawn to the movement in the sky as a family of Griffiths spin around each other playfully and in the trees below as others gather in small groups, most likely to gossip about the going's on at the castle.

Realistically, I don't have time for this momentary break, after all, staring out the window won't help the mountain of paperwork to diminish but I will gladly sacrifice a few minutes to take this sight in for it is truly stunning. At the moment both my brother and sister have had to travel outside the castle so the duties they preside over now fall to those left in the castle, primarily myself and the High King.

Recently, I have welcomed the business and paperwork. When you aren't busy you have time to think after all and I had had enough of that for a while. Today the momentary pause wasn't planned and even though I know it is dangerous, I caught sight of the sunlight on the tree tops, the glistening water and all at once the carefully bound memories broke free. The forest looked so familiar, I knew every twist and angle of the cliff standing in front of me and I have even met most of the trees but for one fleeting moment the shadows caused by the setting sun changed the look of the forest and it took on another quality. I glanced at the sky expecting to see it cloudy and overcast but instead the glistening crystal blue stared back at me.

My mind had made the connection and the resemblance became more profound until I realised my eyes had drifted closed and I was visualising the forest I knew in another world rather than seeing what was before me. Snapping them open again I focused once more of the colours actually ahead. In the forests defence the fleeting similarity was only the reason I had involuntarily paused. Unlike every other time something reminded me of that place, I had not immediately pushed it deep into my mind, choosing to reminisce instead of focusing on the work to do here.

I am reasonably happy here, don't miss understand me, I have a life, a family and a country I am responsible for. But I am cursed with the privilege of two homes.

It broke my heart when I realised I couldn't go back but it is greedy to wish for two lives and I know that either place I end up will simply cause me to yearn for the other. Sometimes it feels as though I am to be restless forever, never truly settling or belonging.

When we first came to Narnia, everything was so new, we all got so swept away in the newly discovered love and adoration for the people and the land. Home was something to be missed but we had very little desire to head back to the war torn Britain when we had our own responsibilities here. Our lives are so full with so much purpose. Now that I have once again jumped to my birth world and back again, ties have been made and cut as I had made a life there only to leave it once again. I life I can't reach now.

With people I love on two different worlds my heart lies split and scattered. Maybe I shall never feel complete. It is a fact I shall live with.

If given the choice between worlds, a choice based not on responsibility, I'm not even sure which I would choose. I have two families I can't bear to leave.

With a stern jolt I pull myself from my musings and shake off the thought. I do not have a choice, what would be the point in contemplating it? I am here, with my family, my friends and I am grateful. This is where I belong, where I am needed and where I will stay.

Glancing down at my hands I find my knuckles white as I hold the window ledge for dear life. I know that the momentary peace will wash away soon and I must collect myself before I am found. Reports of me crying around the castle will surely find their way to my brother who will only worry more. As the chance of being found grows and presses on my conscience, I brush my hand over my face to clear away any loose tears that found their way free. I can't help my reaction to the memories or the constant longing for a family and a man out of my reach that the beauty here will bring up but I will attempt to contain such moments until I have the luxury of extended time alone.

Although I am rarely alone now, one thing the business and the movement within the castle is good for is the reduction of sideways glances. People are too distracted to cast fretfully worried glances at me as we pass in the halls wondering if I am holding it all together. A question I try not to think to hard about.

The peace lasted exactly 2 minutes further before a visitor knocked gently on the door and the door slowly slid open. Taking one last deep breath, I smoothed down my skirts and ran a hand over my hair and turned to face the door.

"Your majesty" the mans first words seeped into the room and broke the spell the silence and sunset had cast.

"Hello dear friend" I smiled, of all the possible interruptions today, he was the perfect companion in that moment. "How are you this evening?"

"I am well," he paused and seemingly reconsidered, "well, as I can expect to be today at least." His familiar, gravelly voice soothing something deep inside me and once he reached the window ledge next to me, I reached out a hand and placed it on his.

"I know." I sighed.

We stood for a moment hand in hand glancing out over the water. The silence comfortable and familiar.

"One year huh?" He spoke quietly. "It feels like longer."

I glanced up to his youthful face and met his dark eyes. "Feels like yesterday" I admit.

We were both surprised I had spoken aloud as I normally kept a tight rein on what I say.

We both share one last glance, I can see my comrades understanding in his eyes and we look back over the window ledge to the beyond. His arm slides companionably over my shoulder and we share another moment remembering.

Seth is the only person here who ever knew me as Bella after all. The only person who knows the life I lost. The love I lost.

I decide I can afford one more confession today so in whispered tones I admit "I miss him".

He simply responds by kissing by forehead and lightly squeezing my shoulders.

Time to put the memories of my other world away. Time to become the high queen once more. Just not before one final glance out into the distance.


End file.
